Is this a familiar scenario ? You get up after a good night ’s eternal rest and check your garden . It take care like there are notch on your bergenia foliage that were n’t there yesterday . Could that be … ?
While bergenia is in general repellent to pests , there are two elision : weevil , especially black vine weevils , and gastropods .
We link to vendor to help you find relevant products . If you buy from one of our links , we may bring in a commission .
Black vine weevils emerge at night and provender on the outside of the leaves , resulting in a notched appearing around the edges .
Slugs and snails are also nocturnal puppet that can cause damage .
In this clause , we will extend what you what to look for and how to protect your bergenia plants from these pest .
Common Bergenia Pests
Black Vine Weevils
It figures that , out of a genus of more than 1,500 coinage of weevils , the one that feeds on bergenia ( Otiorhynchus sulcatus)is recognise for being the most destructive .
This character of weevil also favorsrhododendrons , camellias , primroses , and genus Euonymus , and it may choose to feast on almost 100 other variety of plant as well !
These insects are aboriginal to Europe , but they have had no problem colonizing the US and southerly Canada .
Symptoms
Your first hint that these pest are active in your garden is typically go to be visible notch on your bergenia leaf .
Most gardeners like to trim back the damage foliage in the bound .
While this damage is often small-scale , the population of these insects can build up over clip .
Particularly straight since the weevils can not fly , they typically persist in the same place and reproduce . ( Asexually ! )
Bergenia ’s leaves are evergreen , so any damage to them becomes magnified as infestations increase .
Although the notches on the leaves are the most easily discernible symptom , the larva that feed on the theme can also damage the plants .
This unremarkably manifests as a general decline in plant health , and is more difficult to name .
If you canvass the soil around infested plant in the spring or fall , you will find larvae that are about half an inch long , golden colored , and shaped like a C.
Though this is usually not a problem with bergenia , severe infestation can totally demolish the root , and finally kill the plants .
How to Control the Adults
The adult weevil , all of which are female , hide in the soil or debris at the base of the plant life during the solar day , and do out at nighttime to fertilize on the leaf .
you could find them after dark just by glitter a flashlight on your plant .
The 3/8 - inch - longsighted contraband weevil have pronounced honker and black torso . This makes it easy to find them , so you’re able to cull them off the plants and put them in a bucketful of oily piss .
Another manner to enamour them is to place a pizza box or some other kind of corrugate cardboard around the plant life that are invade . Leave it overnight , then just switch the cardboard with the weevil out in the morning .
If your plants are inundate with these weevil , there are several biologic and chemical controls that you could use .
You have several selection to vote down the grownup bootleg vine weevil by using constitutional treatments as well .
In case you are not familiar with the terminus mycoinsecticide , it is used to describe fungi that ascendency insect . Mycois Greek for fungus , and you experience the rest .
BotaniGard ES
The primary insecticidal fungus used commercially isBeauveria bassiana , which isavailable from Arbico Organicsas BotanicGard ® ES , along with other conceptualisation .
The fungus fall in a solution that you may spray on your plants weekly .
These chemical arederived from chrysanthemums , and many formulation of them are labeled as organic .
You will have to apply them more frequently , because they do n’t persist on the works as efficaciously as conventional chemical insecticides .
PyGanic horticulture
PyGanic Gardening , available from Arbico Organics , is effective against weevils .
How to Control the Larvae
These weevil winter as partially developed larvae in the ground and feed on roots – the all right ones in the fall , and large beginning in the bound .
They can be a particular job in container plantings , since the ontogeny of the root is restricted .
However , this time expend underground leave a golden chance for the gardener to hold them with good nematodes .
you could feel these organism in some garden centers oronline from Arbico Organics , which sells NemaSeek ™ SK Beneficial Nematodes .
NemaSeek SK Beneficial Nematodes
This mathematical product is write ofSteinernema kraussei , a species of nematode that is particularly effective at cooler temperature .
Treat the plant in former fall , before the grubs become too large .
Add the nematodes to water as indicate in the directions , and then pour over the soil . The nematode will assay out andkill the grubs .
This treatment will be the most effective if the territory is damp at the time of program , and then kept that mode for four to five Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
you may learn to habituate beneficial nematodes in our guide .
you may also apply a systemic insecticide , such as imidacloprid , to kill the larvae .
you may corrupt this compoundfrom the Home Depotin the form of Bonide Systemic Insect Control Granules .
Bonide Systemic Insect Control Granules
The roots will absorb the chemical substance , and transport it throughout the plant . When the larvae feed on the plants , they will ingest the imidacloprid .
Reapply every eight weeks .
Slugs and Snails
If you thought the pitch-dark vine weevil larvae were ugly , things are about to get even slimier with the dreaded slug and snail that may be pay a sojourn to your garden .
While clout and snails do n’t tend to mow bergenia to the ground like they do with so many other plants , they can get occasional job for these looker .
Damage is most likely to go on on older leaves . see for jagged kettle of fish in the leaves and trails of slime .
Removing any decay leafage will greatly limit the appeal of the plants to poke and snails , while improving the look of plants for human visitors to your garden .
If your bergenia is plagued by one or both of these ooze - trader , we have awhole scout devoted to banishing slugs and snails .
In this case , you may forbid an infestation by removing the former leaves in the spring . If you do have punch or snails in your bergenia plants , you may hand pick them or applydiatomaceous eartharound the plants .
Bergenia Plants Are Highly Resistant to Most Pests
Now that I ’ve gone through all of the common spoiled case pest scenario that can take place with bergenia , it is a safe time to iterate that these plants are usually safe from insects and larger herbivores , like rabbit or cervid .
Even if your plants are infested with black vine weevil , it can take days for the populations to build up to the detail where they make wicked damage .
And you’re able to easily avoid lick and snails with routine garden cleanup position .
All in all , bergenia really is a down upkeep plant that is resistive to most pests .
And formore entropy on growing bergeniain your garden , check out these guides next :
© require the Experts , LLC . ALL rightfulness RESERVED.See our TOSfor more inside information . Product photos via Arbico Organics and Home Depot . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .
About
Helga George , Ph.D.
